Bishops?

[Sir_Knight]

What’s the difference between a Bishop and an Archbishop? I know that a bishop presides over a diocese and an archbishop presides over an archdiocese but that really doesn’t tell me anything either since I don’t understand the difference between a diocese and an archdiocese either.

While we’re at it, what is an Auxiliary Bishop?

I know the sequence is Auxiliary Bishop, Bishop and then Archbishop but what is the difference between these positions as they move up the line?

 

[atsheeran]

All of these have received the highest degree of the sacrament of holy orders. They are all bishops.

An archdiocese is the diocese of the (arch)bishop who is the head of the province.

An auxiliary bishop is not the head of a See but assists another bishop who needs the help.

 

[Sir_Knight]

atsheeran:

An archdiocese is the diocese of the (arch)bishop who is the head of the province.

Doesn’t that same definition apply to a cardinal? What is the difference between a cardinal and an archbishop other than a cardinal gets to vote for the next Pope?

 

[Mysty101]

My understanding is that the ordinary is the Bishop or Archbishop (head of an Archdiocese) in charge of a Diocese. He may or may not be also a Cardinal. For example Cardinal Egan is the Archbishop of New York.

There are some Cardinals who are not an ordinary of a diocese, and some bishops or archbishops who are not Cardinals.

 

[atsheeran]

A Cardinal is a bishop (except in very rare cases, like Avery Dulles) who has been given a special honor by the Pope. It is not connected with a specific office. Note that Boston’s former Archbishop was a Cardinal (Law) but the current Archbishop (O’Malley) is not a Cardinal (yet, anyway).

 

[Joseph_Bilodeau]

Sir Knight:

Doesn’t that same definition apply to a cardinal? What is the difference between a cardinal and an archbishop other than a cardinal gets to vote for the next Pope?

That’s pretty much it. Realistically speaking, Cardinals are also the group from which a new Pope would almost certainly be selected (while not 100% certain, at least 99.99% certain as a conservative estimate), and Cardinals also act as special advisors to the Pope

While I think some Cardinals may be regular Bishops rather than Archbishops, Cardinals are usually either chosen from experienced Bishops who have been given responsibilities for larger, more important Sees or other more important duties (thus being Archbishops already), or else they are eventually given such more important duties (thus becomming Archbishops later on), it would seem likely that most Cardinals be Archbishops. Not all Archbishops are Cardinals, though.

Clear as mud?

 

[Sir_Knight]

I still don’t understand but I appreciate the attempts to explain it. Thank you.

 

[dumspirospero]

Auxiliary Bishop

A bishop deputed to a diocesan who, capable of governing and administering his diocese, is unable to perform the pontifical functions; or whose diocese is so extensive that it requires the labors of more than one; or whose episcopal see has attached to it a royal or imperial office requiring protracted presence at court. According to the present ecclesiastical discipline no bishop can be consecrated without title to a certain and distinct diocese which he governs either actually or potentially. Actual government requires residence, potential does not. Hence, there are two principal classes of bishops, the residential, or diocesan or, local, or ordinary; and the non-residential, or titular. Diocesan bishops have and exercise *(de jure) *full power of order and jurisdiction, in and over the diocese committed to their exclusive care by the pope. Titulars, as such, have not, and do not exercise, power of order and jurisdiction, in and over their titular sees. All actual jurisdiction in titular sees the pope reserves to himself, and exercises through the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda. The jurisdiction of a diocesan is ordinary. Should a titular perform a jurisdictional function, he uses delegated jurisdiction.

Bishop

(Anglo-Saxon Biscop, Busceop, German Bischof; from the Greek episkopos, an overseer, through Latin episcopus; Italian vescovo; Old French vesque; French évêque).

The title of an ecclesiastical dignitary who possesses the fullness of the priesthood to rule a diocese as its chief pastor, in due submission to the primacy of the pope. It is of Catholic faith that bishops are of Divine institution. In the hierarchy of order they possess powers superior to those of priests and deacons; in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, by Christ’s will, the are appointed for the government of one portion of the faithful of the Church, under the direction and authority of the sovereign pontiff, who can determine and restrain their powers, but, not annihilate them. They are the successors of the Apostles, though they do not possess all the prerogatives of the latter. (Council of Trent, Sess. XXIII, ch. iv; can. vi, vii. See APOSTOLIC COLLEGE.) The episcopate is monarchical. By the Will of Christ, the supreme authority in a diocese does not belong to a college of priests or of bishops, but it resides in the single personality of the chief.

Archbishop
An archbishop or metropolitan, in the present sense of the term, is a bishop who governs a diocese strictly his own, while he presides at the same time over the bishops of a well-defined district composed of simple dioceses but not of provinces. Hence none of these subordinate bishops rule over others. These bishops are called the suffragans or comprovincials. The archbishop’s own diocese is the archdiocese. The several dioceses of the district form the archiepiscopal, or metropolitan, province.
Sir Knight:

I still don’t understand but I appreciate the attempts to explain it. Thank you.

 

[dumspirospero]

Cardinal

A dignitary of the Roman Church and counsellor of the pope.

By the term cardinal (Cardinalis) was originally understood every priest permanently attached to a church, every clericus, either intitulatus or incardinatus. [C. 3 (Gelasius I, 492-496), D. XXIV. C 35 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06780a.htm”]Gregory I, 595), D. LXXXI. C. 6 (Gregory I, 603), D. LXXIV. C. 42 (Gregory I, 592), C. VIII, q. 1.] It became the usual designation of every priest belonging to a central or episcopal church, an ecclesiastical cardo (Lat. for hinge). Cf. Hincmar of Reims, “De jure metropolitani”, c. 20 (Opp. ed. Sirmond, II, 731); C. 2, §6 (Pseudo-Isidore), D. XXII. Lastly it was equivalent to principalis, i. e., excellent, superior, and is so used by St. Augustine (De baptismo, I, 6; ed. Bened. IX, 56). The origin, development, and modifications of this office will be treated as follows: I. Cardinal-priests; II. Cardinal-deacons; III. Cardinal-bishops; IV. Cardinalitial dioceses, titles, and deaconries; V. Relations of the cardinals to the bishops; VI. Relations of the cardinals to the pope; VII. Nomination of cardinals; VIII. Duties of cardinals; IX. Rights of cardinals; X. The College of cardinals.

 

[dumspirospero]

What still confuses me and maybe someone can help me out is the difference between Cardinal Deacons, Cardinal Priests, and Cardinal Bishops…does everyone appointed Cardinal start off as a Deacon and due to the length of time they have been Cardinal get bumped up???

 

[Flounder]

Here’s my two cents, off the top of my head so bear with me…

There is no higher position in the Church than Bishop. Bishops are the descendants of the Apostles, and lead the Church in diffferent areas, called Dioceses.

Archbishops, and Archdioceses, are Dioceses grouped together for administrative purposes. While each Bishop is supreme within his Diocese, there are some administrative rules that run through the Archdiocese.

If a Bishop needs help, he is given an Auxillary Bishop. If that Bishop will succeed him someday, he is called the Coadjutor.

The Bishop of Rome is the Pope. Over time, Cardinals developed from the positions in the Pope’s Diocese. Even today, there are Cardinal-Bishops (7), Cardinal Priests, (tons), and Cardinal Deacons (fewer). While they hold these titles, today’s law requires that they all be Bishops; even Cardinal Dulles who was and is not a Bishop, received something to comply with the law. The Cardinal that announced the new Pope is the senior Cardinal Deacon; Cardinal Ratzinger was the senior Cardinal Bishop.

When a Bishop is named Cardinal, he receives an “honoray” church (or Diocese) in/near Rome that is his, although he has no real responsibility there. Some are assigned jobs within the Church bureaucracy (the Curia), some hold the title and work at home.

Any help?

 

[chicago]

The idea of dioceses historically developed out of the Roman system of governing areas beyong the great city. When the Church expanded beyond it’s early apostolic stage, it just copied this system by establishing a diocese and making the bishop of that area it’s head.

The main metropolis around which smaller dioceses were centered became the archdiocese, with the Archbishop it’s Metropolitan. (Sort of like a county seat). At one time the head of the archdiocese actually had much more supervisory and appelate authority over the dioceses which were attached to him. Nowadays, such powers are usually much mroe limited and honorory.

More recently, auxiliary bishops have frequently been appointed to assist bishops and archbishops in the administartion of a diocese and conferral of sacraments. Since a bishop must be the head of a diocese, but these men can not be ordinaries (the main bishop) of where they serve, these auxilairies are appointed as titual bishops of long defunct historical dioceses. (The same is done for bishops who serve in the Vatican).

Cardinals are honorary clerics of Rome. Historically, it is the Roman clergy who elect the Bishop of Rome. And, therefore, the pope chooses men to surround himself with as his cooperators in ministry. Typically, he names both men who are heading up his administrative staff (Vatican Congregations et al) as well as bishops of some of the most signifigant dioceses. The Patriarchs are also made cardinals. Sometimes, notable theologians or priests whose example is exemplary are also elevated.

The three orders of ministry are retained in the order of cardinals, namely deacons, priests, and bishops in manner of representing this reality. The Cardinal Bishops are typically the patriarchs and the most important heads of office. The cardinal priests (who receive titular pastorates over a Roman parish) are generally the heads of dioceses. Cardinal Deacons are usually department heads of the Holy See. They can ask to be made a Cardinal Priest after 10 years as a cardinal deacon.